Health minister A Ramadoss can find some support from the Information & Broadcasting Ministry in his efforts to curb smoking, as the ministry's draft content code proposes to classify TV broadcast of smoking scenes under category 'A'.
The draft content code not only proposes to classify broadcast of smoking, use of illegal drugs, tobacco and consumption of alcohol on television under the 'A' category but also plans to restrict TV channels from stereotyping women as passive or submissive so as to promote or glorify their subordinate or secondary role in the society. It also proposes to allow screening of adult programmes only between 11 pm and 4 am.
As per the code, which will be a part of the Broadcasting Bill to be introduced during the monsoon session of Parliament, Broadcaster Service Providers (BSP) have been given time till August 5 to give their comments. The guidelines prohibit portrayal of women as primarily driven by sexual impulses or the female body or form as an object of sexual exploitation.
The content code entails that smoking or alcohol consumption can be shown under the 'A' category "only if it does not glamourise use or misuse of such products and omit to highlight the ill-effects on health or criminal tendencies". It, however, says depiction of public health messages shall not be governed by above restrictions.
Source: Asia Media
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